Coast Guard Cutter Decisive returns from deployment Monday

The Coast Guard Cutter Decisive, a 210-foot medium endurance cutter, will return to its homeport of Pascagoula, Miss., after a 31-day deployment to the Straits of Florida on Monday.

During the deployment in the Straits of Florida, the crew of the Decisive assisted with the interdiction of 101 Cuban migrants. In many cases, migrant vessels interdicted at sea are overloaded and unseaworthy. Migrants embark on dangerous voyages in homemade vessels bound for the United States. When intercepted, migrants are removed from their homemade rafts under the Safety Of Life At Sea (SOLAS) convention, which allows termination of voyages of inherently unsafe vessels. Crewmembers provided the migrants with food, water and shelter plus basic medical attention.

Decisive was directly responsible for saving 10 lives at sea during this deployment. A vessel was reported to the Coast Guard as being overloaded and unseaworthy. Following three days of extensive search patterns a Decisive crew member spotted a faint light in the ocean just before midnight. The vessel was taking on water, and 10 Cuban migrants were without food and water.

“Saving the lives of more than 100 migrants is truly rewarding, humbling and, in my eyes, an all-inspiring way to spend my first underway patrol as an Independent Duty Corpsman aboard Decisive,” said Health Services Technician 2nd Class Sean Scully.

Decisive deploys 185-210 days a year and is responsible for maritime law enforcement, Homeland Security and Search and Rescue missions in the Gulf of Mexico, Straits of Florida and Caribbean Sea.